What the Bible says about light and seed

The True Light "In him, (the Lord Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world,…the world didn’t recognize him." John 1:4,9.

The Good Seed and the Weeds “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seeds in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.”Matthew 13:24,25.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

'Intolerant' Christianity In Defense of the Faith

Reposted from omegaletter.com Saturday, February 16, 2008Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) This particular
verse has gotten Christianity into hot water with the world throughout
the history of the Christian Church Age.This verse gave the
Romans their excuse for throwing Christians to the lions. It has served
as the main reason for Christian persecution wherever it might be found.

This
verse is the one that is behind the UN's hatred of Christianity, and is
the main reason that in Canada, the Bible has been determined, under
certain circumstances, to be 'hate literature'.

Jesus' claim that
He is the only way is what upsets the world. To the world, Christianity
is 'intolerant' because it teaches the only one way to salvation is
through Jesus.

To a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., that means that they are excluded, since they don't worship Jesus as God.

Therefore, Christianity is an 'exclusive' religion, and people don't like to be excluded, even when they CHOOSE to be excluded.

It
is absurd, really. Consider the premise for a moment. The 'hate speech'
argument is based on Jesus not letting Muslims, Hindus, etc., et al,
into His heaven just because they don't believe in Him.

So, from
the secular perspective, if the 'mythical' Jesus won't let unbelievers
into His 'mythical' Heaven, that is 'intolerance' and 'hateful'.

Leaving
aside why Jesus would exclude unbelievers for a second, one has to
wonder why somebody who doesn't believe in Jesus would want to go to His
heaven in the first place?

Whether or not Christianity is
intolerant depends on what the word 'tolerant' means. And in an age of
propaganda, words are not very precise. Remember, in the name of
'pro-choice', it is a crime to offer a different choice that abortion
within 100 feet of an abortion clinic.

'Militant' means any terrorist who isn't for the moment, targeting YOU. Or it means 'radical', as in 'militant feminist'.

So,
'militant' -- depending on political worldview -- can mean either a
crazed terrorist murdering as many innocents as possible or, a group of
angry women carrying signs.

"Tolerant" -- and its derivatives -- is a word like that.

From
the perspective of Biblical Christianity, there is no more tolerant
worldview than that of Christ. Christianity teaches the obvious truth
that all men have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.

Even
atheists recognize 'sin' -- even if they rename it. Were it not for
sin, societies wouldn't need police protection. Nations wouldn't need
armies. Religions would have no reason to exist and no 'hammer' with
which to keep the faithful in line.

Sin exists. All religions
offer a remedy. Some require you to go out and knock on doors and
proselytize new members as a means of salvation from sin. Others, like
Islam, might require you to go out and blow up a school bus as a means
of salvation from sin.

Some require you to keep certain church
laws and regulations in order to be saved from sin, while others require
an outward act of penitence.

Even secular society has a remedy
for sin. When a convicted criminal serves out his sentence for a crime,
he is said to have 'paid his debt to society'. He can never be punished
for that crime again under the law. There is nothing intolerant about
the recognition for sin, or the existence of a sin debt.

Jesus
offers all men the free gift of salvation for the asking. They need only
accept the gift of Pardon offered and trust in His Shed Blood as full
payment of their sin debt.

If they accept the gift, they are
imputed with the Righteousness of Christ and have therefore paid their
sin debt and are eligible for Heaven. Their 'debt to Heaven's society'
is paid, and like the convict whose sentence is served, they can never
be punished for that crime again.

If they reject the offer of
Pardon, then they stand before the Righteous Judge with that debt
unpaid. Nothing intolerant about that.

Jesus is Divinely fair in
His judgement. His Pardon is based on the fact He has already paid for
the crimes, and offers His payment on our behalf.

Nothing intolerant about that.

The
Bible gives us a genuine basis to recognize hypocrisy and confront it
for what it is. Because the Bible upholds the dignity of all persons as
image-bearers of God, we have a basis for a genuinely diverse culture.

When faithful to the Scriptures, Christianity is epitome of tolerance.

As
noted, it all depends on the meaning one assigns to the word
'tolerant'. When tolerance means that we are to accept all beliefs as
equally true and valid, Christians must respectfully object.

The notion that truth is a social construct is what gives the world a reason to hate Christianity as 'intolerant' and 'hateful'.

To a Christian, truth matters. To the world, the truth is whatever they want to believe is true.

In
the sense of 'Christian intolerance' the word 'tolerant' really means
'pluralist'. 'Pluralism' is a curious philosophy, in that it holds that a
number of simultaneous and conflicting truths can exist at the same
time with each separate truth remaining equally true.

Pluralism
holds that distinct cultural beliefs are true for that culture--but not
for cultures that operate out of a different "paradigm" (like
Christianity.)

Pluralists say that truth is a "social
construction." It is created through social consensus and tradition, not
discovered in reality that exists independently of our beliefs. Truth
is, therefore, subjective interpretation, rather than facts based in
reality.

To the pluralist, all religions are equally valid and
all religions lead to God. All gods are equally 'god', which is the
logical equivalent to saying there is no God at all -- and then making a
religious worldview out of it.

Therefore, defining 'tolerant' as
the semantic equivalent to 'pluralist' means that Christianity is
intolerant because it stands or falls on that central truth that Jesus
Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and that no man comes to the
Father but by Him.

Under the Romans, Christianity was outlawed because it was 'hateful' and 'intolerant'.

Under
revived Rome, the Apostle John says the Tribulation saints will be
persecuted and put to death for refusing to accept his universal symbol
of religious pluralism, what we call 'the Mark of the Beast.'

The Mark of the Beast isn't merely an economic system, although John says that without it, no man would be able to buy or sell.

John
also says that it will become a universal, pluralistic religious system
saying that, he will "cause that as many as would not worship the image
of the beast should be killed." (Revelation 13:15)

Those
who don't accept voluntary inclusion into the pluralistic religion of
the false prophet because of their faith in Christ will be executed for
their intolerance.

(As a side note, the 'Tribulation Saints' are
those who are converted by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists sealed by the
Holy Spirit (Revelation Chapter 7)
and not the Church Age saints. During the Tribulation, power is given
to the antichrist (and Satan) "to make war with the saints, and TO
OVERCOME THEM," -- something not possible with Church Age believers
Personally indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.)

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome THEM: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1st John 4:4)

This is part of the continuously unfolding tapestry of Bible prophecy
for the last days. Religious pluralism, in some form, is the universal
religion of the antichrist.

Christianity is not the only faith
that makes claims of exclusivity. So does Islam. So does Judaism.
Exclusivity is a fundamental of each faith.

All three are
currently engaged in a global war aimed at wiping each other out.
Whether or not they succeed, there is little doubt that 'fundamentalism'
is rapidly becoming a dirty word in these last days.

The false
prophet is depicted by John as having, "two horns like a lamb, and he
spake as a dragon." The Lamb is symbolic of Christianity, whereas the
dragon is another name for Satan.

Logically, the pluralist
religion of the antichrist will be some counterfeit form of Christianity
that includes all other faiths under a single religious umbrella. We
are getting closer, but we aren't there yet.

The problem is, one
cannot reconcile 'tolerance' with 'faith'. 'Tolerance' (religious
pluralism) dictates that there are many truths.

The indwelt
Church stands as an obstacle on the path to religious pluralism during
the Church Age, until it is recalled at the Rapture.

The reason,
in part, is because faith recognizes only one truth. One cannot have
'faith' in conflicting truths -- the Bible says, "faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

Each
of us goes to work each Monday because we have faith that our paychecks
will be there Friday. Not just that we will be paid, but how much we
will be paid.

If that paycheck was only there sometimes, and the
amount reflected the whim of a different paymaster each week, who would
keep showing up for work on Monday?

Our work is the 'substance'
of things hoped for (our paycheck) and the fact we show up each Monday
is the unseen evidence of our faith in payday. Do you follow?

One
cannot be 'tolerant' of conflicting 'truths', any more than it would
intolerant to refuse to go to work without faith in payday being the
same 'truth' every week.

Faith and tolerance are polar opposites. That doesn't make Christianity intolerant of the world.

A Christmas Reflection from the Light Seed

This is a Christmas message that I repost every year because of its timelessness. I hope that it will bless you and that the seeds of love, truth, hope and joy planted in your heart by the Lord will flourish as Aaron´s almond rod of authority and service and nourish the hungry and thirsty around us.

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Copyright. Droits d'Auteurs. Rediffusion. Direitos Autorais

I claim no right as an author. I didn't create the mind, my brain, my hands, nor any of my senses through which I perceive the world around me. Therefore, I invite anybody if you see any benefit or blessing in the posts, to print, reproduce or distribute the contents of this blog I wrote personally. Jesus said: "Freely you have received, freely give". John the Baptist said: "One can receive only what has been given him from above". I would suggest you ask for spiritual discernment with checking in the Word of God what is right, true, noble, pure, lovely, beneficial as coming from God. I am just offering and sharing free of any restrictions the things that I deem worthy of passing on to any one willing to spend a little time and walk with me along life's highway so we can learn and grow together. Give thanks to and Praise God for the wonderful things he has done.

The Joshua Tree - An original parable/allegory by this blogger.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God (Genesis 21:33). Here is old Abraham just planting a tree and living by his well. Why are we told this? It is symbolic of what is taking place in his heart and life. The tree immediately brings to mind Psalm 1, which says the man of God will be like a tree planted by rivers of living water, bringing forth its fruit in season. Here is a life that is fruitful, that is concerned about those immediately around and is pouring out blessing into their lives and hearts. Excerpts from Ray Stedman´s devotion: "This Thirsty World" https://www.raystedman.org/daily-devotions/genesis-12to25/this-thirsty-world

Original Love Poems by this Blogger

Excellent Free Bible Software

Now you can download an excellent Bible software on your PC and/or your USB flash drive. It contains easy to navigate and efficient interface, free add-ons modules, Bibles in English, foreign languages, Dictionaries, Commentaries, everything you need to help you study the Bible.

Testimony/Sermon of an Abortion Survivor

SUICIDE WATCH

I am sure most of you have known at some time in your life a person who wanted or attempted to end their life or succeeded in doing so. Personally, I have known a number of such people. I, myself had such an episode as an adolescent.

More and more I am reading and hearing about people young, old, male, female, gender and age don´t matter that add their lives to this problem of epidemic proportion in our society. Whatever the cause, we can all do something however small to save lives.

No need to have a psych. degree or to be licensed. An understanding heart, a listening ear is sometimes all that it takes to help weaker, more sensitive people overcome the hopelessness that drives fellow human beings to discard the gift of human life.

Please, take a few minutes to read below the few examples and testimonies about suicide. And please pass it on, if that´s all you feel inclined to do. Thank you.

HE INVITES SUICIDE JUMPERS FOR A CUP OF TEA

Don Ritchie moved to a house outside Sydney, Australia, for the clifftop view. But soon he was stopping suicides by inviting potential jumpers inside for a cup of tea.

Don Ritchie has been awarded a medal for bravery and an Order of Australia (the nation’s second highest honor) for averting hundreds of would-be suicides by approaching people and offering them a cup of tea. ‘I used to sell kitchen scales and bacon cutters,’ he says. Now, ‘I’m trying to sell people life.’